It is common to package consumer beverage containers in sets having four, six or even more containers. Usually each container is identical to the others of the set with each container displaying thereon identical indicia over a major portion of the container. This indicia not only serves to convey information about the contents of the container, but it also depicts manufacturer and distributor trade information as well as trademark or trade dress configurations, colorations and words. Since each container in a set is virtually identical to the others, distinguishing between each container is almost impossible once the containers are separated from the ordered packaging arrangement. Usually, one's inability to distinguish between individual containers taken from a consumer pack has not been critical. At family gatherings or other social functions, mistakes of container identity causing one to drink from a container which previously had been used by another was considered at most impolite or unsanitary. Usually, such a mistake would create no more than a fear of passing to another the common cold.
Recently, however, the fear of acquiring communicable diseases has provoked concern among many. Although it is believed that the more loathsome diseases can be communicated only through the most intimate of a personal relationship, some have expressed concern that such diseases may be acquired by more distant activities such as drinking after another, e.g. mistakenly drinking from another's consumer beverage such as a soft drink or beer container. Without means identifying individual containers taken from a consumer pack, social occasions and even family gatherings quickly can be dampened by the nagging fear of whether the opened consumer beverage container just picked up and drunk from was the same one just recently laid down.
Although some prior patents have discussed ways for identifying various containers, it is believed they were limited by either their complexity and expense, or their appearance and impracticality. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,354,564 to Falcone et al and 2,976,629 to Brixius et al disclose identification insignia hanging or secured onto a container by pressure clips or other means. This approach is burdensome and detracts from the overall trade dress of the container. Likewise, using large, nonsimilar labels to identify different containers not only deemphasizes the manufacturer's and distributor's trademark and trade dress but it also obfuscates the important container content and labeling information usually mandated by governmental regulations.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a package identification system for identifying the individual containers of a consumer pack of beverages.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a package identification system for readily identifying the individual containers of a consumer pack of beverages which does not distract from the manufacturer's or distributor's trade dress, trademark and container labeling information.
It is another object of this invention to provide a package identification system for identifying the individual containers of a consumer pack of beverages which is simple and inexpensive to implement.